An officer of the Ogun State police command, one Inspector Kamarudeen Bello has allegedly paid the sum of N700,000 ransom to kidnappers to regain his freedom after being abducted by unknown gunmen.

The inspector was said to have been kidnapped in a mosque last Sunday around 8pm, while praying.

Nigerian Newstrack gathered that inspector Bello was kidnapped alongside two others by unknown gunmen after they invaded a mosque at Soyoye, Rounder area of Abeokuta.

Bello, whose wife gave birth four days before the incident, is reportedly the Imam of the mosque and he is attached to one of the divisional police headquarters in Abeokuta.

A source who pleaded anonymity told Nigerian Newstrack that “after he was abducted alongside two others, the kidnappers called to demand N5 million ransom for the release of each of the victims. But with pleadings and negotiations, the money was reduced.”

The source added that, “the wife of Inspector Kamarudeen was contacted with the phone number of one of the kidnapped victims.”

It was learnt that the kidnappers did not know that Bello is a police officer, as he was not in uniform or with any identity when he was picked up in the mosque.

“Most of us were scared when they kidnapped him; we didn’t want them to know he is a policeman. If they knew, they might have killed him over fear that he would aid their arrest,” another source stated.

Nigerian Newstrack further gathered that the policeman and others kidnapped with him have been released before the week ran out, after the payment of ransom.

“I don’t know how much each of them paid, but I think the police Inspector parted with about N700,000 before he was released,” it was gathered on Thursday.

The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, who confirmed the abduction declined knowledge of any payment of ransom to the abductors.

He added that the police would not relent in dealing with kidnappers and other criminal elements terrorising the state.